Click here to see photos from our “amazing race” in Sofia –

http://hillelburkleyinbg.tumblr.com/.

Password is Sofia.

Enjoy!

We would like to fill you in on some of our activities from the past few days.

On Thursday, we split into groups. While some of us painted the multipurpose room of Beit Shalom, others of us went down two floors to play with the children in day care. We taught the kids how to play Duck Duck Goose, or in Bulgarian “patte patte gusgo.”  Then, they taught us their own game called “Gernay,” which involved the protection of human “pots” and running around the circle. Later that day, we had a reflection session on Jewish people-hood and the highlights of the trip so far, followed by chill time at the hotel and a quiz game night at the JCC.

On Friday, we returned to Beit Shalom JCC to complete our paint-job of the multipurpose room. Before we painted the room, there were cracks in the walls and the paint was chipping off. Now, the room looks brand new with pristine white walls. While we completed the job, some of us went downstairs to play with the children again. It was heart warming to see that they remembered us and wanted to play more games with us. They even invited us to make challah with them. Our day ended early, as we had to return to our hotel to prepare for Shabbat. We attended services at Sofia Synagogue, the third largest synagogue in Europe, designed in the Sephardi style, modeled after a Vienna synagogue. It was GORGEOUS. I couldn’t take my eyes off the paintings and architecture inside the building. Afterwards, we crossed the street to Beit Shalom, where we had dinner, listened to a sermon from the chief rabbi of Sofia about the history of the Jews of Sofia and their struggles to keep Judaism alive in their community, followed by a fun Oneg with local peers. That night, we went clubbing with the local peers to a hip-hop joint and had a blast!

Zdrasti from Sofia, Bulgaria! It’s crazy to think we’ve been here for two nights, and this is the first time we’ve been able to sit down and reflect about our expereinces. Here’s a recap of our whirlwind adventure thus far:

Tuesday Night: We arrived after a 14 hour indirect flight into Sofia. Some of our comrades met us after flying in from New York, and we all bused over to the Trachia Hotel in downtown Sofia. Some of us were wiped from all that traveling and went straight to bed, while others surveyed the local nightlife or did a walking tour of the city by night with our adopted JDC student leader (and friendly Bulgarian), Ina.

Wednesday: Woke up to a scrumptious array of mushrooms, tomatoes, cheeses, eggs, fruit, pastries, potato croquettes and juice- who thought Bulgarian breakfast would be such a feast?! We walked over from our hotel along snow-laden streets, dressed in warm winter coats and excited to meet the Jewish community. We were greeted by our JDC hosts  and learned about Jewish history in Bulgaria, and the community in Sofia today.

Following the presentation, we went downstairs to mingle and talk with some elderly members of the community, some of whom were Holocaust survivors. They were so warm and happy to meet us, and opened up about their Sephardic heritage, Ladino roots, growing up under Nazi then Communist governments, and how important the JDC and the community is to them today. After departing hugs and smiles, we broke up into three groups. The design group surveyed painting spaces, while the movers group helped renovate rooms, and the cooking group served lunch to the elderly. We came together again for a lunch of stuff bell-peppers, soup, and buttered squash… for dessert!

While we digested, we were treated to a four song performance by Allegro, the elderly Ladino choir accompanied by an accordian player. It quickly turned into a cultural exchange through music as we taught them Journey’s classic “Don’t Stop Believing” and all came together to sing and dance Hava Negila.

As the room settled down, we met a new group of English speaking Bulgarians peers. They took us to the homes of different community members who shared their stories and hobbies with us. One in particular recalled her days as a top Jewish Bulgarian model under Communism in the 50s. All these personal narratives and amazing insights wore us out and we headed back to the hotel before dinner. We had a traditional Sepharidic dinner, learned about Ladino culture and fashion, and sang with the glamorous former Bulgarian pop-star Lika. As the night went on, we sang karaoke- belting out Bulgarian classics like “The Macarena” and “Like a Virgin.” Some students went out again while others turned in early. See pictures below to check out all these wild times!

Until the next post, Ciao!

…oh and fun Bulgarian fact, locals nod when they mean “No” and shake their head when they mean “Yes”- That’s the opposite of America!

-Ben (Bear) Brint

(from top left: Singing with Allegro; Singing with Sam; A Bulgarian trolley; Ben at work on the blog at the JDC Bulgaria office; David sampling the local mineral water fountains)

We are all so excited to arrive in Sofia, Bulgaria to start our service! On January 2, we will fly out of San Francisco and arrive in Sofia on January 3. We are looking forward to the service, the food, the music, the culture, the people, the nightlife, and the overall experience. BULGARIA, HERE WE COME!

The group at our second orientation. Lookin’ good!